Method of improving cigarettes, cigars, and pipe cartridges



N. M. HOPKINS 1,749,582

CIGARS, AND PIPE CARTRIDGES March 4, 1930.

METHOD OF IMPROVING CIGARETTES Filed Dec. 18, 1924 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEVIL MONROE HOPKINS, OF NEW YORK,

TO TOBACCO PERFECTING N. Y., CORPORATION, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK, AND

ASSIGNOR OF TWENTY-FIVE PER CENT TWELVE PER CENT TO RENE GEORGES LE BROSI, OF PORT WASHINGTON, NEW

YORK

METHOD OF IMPROVING CIGARETTES, CIGARS, AND PIPE CARTRIDGES Application filed December 18, 1924. Serial No. 756,732.

This invention relates to the process of improving smoking tobacco which is formed into smoking articles such as cigars, cigarettes and pipe cartridges, and has particular reference to a process for grading the socalled strength of tobacco constituting the article in order to produce a smoking article which is uniform in flavor and so-called strength during the smoking of the whole thereof. It is well-known that the so-called strength of smoking articles increases during smoking, so that an entirely different effect is experienced in taste and flavor when the article is partially or substantially entirely consumed than that experienced at the beginning of the smoke. This is due to the fact that the volatile constituents of the tobacco, among which nicotine is the principal constituent, distill off from the lighted end of the article or immediately adjacent thereto, and are carried as part of the smoke by the suction induced by the smoker through the remainder of the tobacco which absorbs them to a considerable degree upon cooling and condensation thereof. This absorption and deposition of nicotine and the like in the .unconsumed tobacco is continuous as the tobacco is gradually consumed, and consequently the tobacco nearest the lips of the smoker becomes well-saturated therewith, with the effect that the so-called strength of the smoking article continually increases during the smoking thereof.

It is the principal object of the present invention to obviate these objections by providing a process whereby smoking articles are improved so as to render them uniform in so-called smoking strength and flavor. The invention is principally concerned. with treating tobacco, straight or blended, which is formed into smoking articles such as cigars, cigarettes and pipe cartridges, and consists in grading the tobacco along the length of the article to be consumed so that a uniform smoking effect is procured regardless of the kind of tobacco used. Tn'performing theinvention, several processes of treatment may be employed to efi'ect a variation in the concentration of the volatile constituents of the tobacco from one end of the smokin article to the other which may be accomp ished by treating the article to alter the concentration of the volatile constituents of the tobacco by gradation thereof from one end of the article to the other, or by adding these volatile constituents to the tobacco to procure the same gradation. In both cases the object attained is to procure a smoking effect which is uniform in all respects from the beginning to the end of the smoke.

For a better understanding of the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a View in perspective of a cigarette treated in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view through this cigarette. v

Fig. 3 is a view of the cigarette undergoing treatment.

Fig. 4: is a sectional View of a cigarette prior to the treatment. s

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through a cigar prior to treatment, and

Fig. 6 is a view of a cigarette partially completed and undergoing treatment.'

Referring to Fig. 1, in which is shown a cigarette treated according to this invention, numeral 10 designates the wrapper'of paper or the like while 11 is the end tobe'lighted and 12 is the end to be inserted between the lips of the smoker. If desired a series of rings or bands 13,14 and 15 may be printed or otherwise marked upon the wrapper 10 to act as indices or guides to denote the degree or gradation of strength of the volatile constituents of the tobacco contained therein. Fig. 2 illustrates graphically by shadin the graded so-called strength of the to acco throughout the length of the cigarette, the greatest strength at the lighted end being represented by the heavier shading, while the lighter shading at 12 denotes the lesser strength at the end of the article which is to be placed between the lips of the smoker. Consequently, the volatile constituents of the tobacco which are carried with the smoke through the tobacco from thelighted end 11 toward the smokers end 12 are deposited by clgarette is placed between absorption and condensation in the tobacco in such a manner as to maintain uniform strength and flavor during the consumption of the article in the smoking operation.

' As previously mentioned, this gradation of strength may be effected by altering the concentration of the volatile constituents in the tobacco along the length of the article as originally formed, or by increasing the concentration to a varying degree along the length of the article by adding these volatile constituents. Fig. \3 illustrates the manner of effecting the first-named process in which the smoking article is subjected to a current of gas or vapor which will effect the desired change in graduation of the concentration of the volatile constituents. The cigarette illustrated in Fig. 4 is the ordinary or untreated type of commercial cigarette in which the tobacco is of uniform strength. This tubes 16 and 18 as illustrated in Fig. 3 so that the stream of gas or vapor may pass through the tobacco in the direction indicated by arrows 17 and 19, the end 11 to be lighted being placed adjacent end is placed adjacent tube 16. Any suitable gas or vapor, whether hot or cold, which will perform the transfer of the volatile constituents from the tobacco adjacent the end 12 and deposit the adjacent end 11 in a graduated degree of concentration between 11 and 12, may be employed. These maybe hot dry air or other gas, steam or other vapor, the vapors of solvents of these volatile constituents such as alcohol, ether, petroleum products, and the like, or an aqueous spray of citric acid or the like- Some of these substances also have the property of sterilizing the article; These gases or vapors are introduced under pressure or velocity of flow to accomplish the shifting of nicotine and other constituents of the tobacco toward the end adapted to be lighted in order to procure a uniform smoking effect in the manner described. r

By a similar process an unduly mild tobacco made up'in theform' of cigars, cigarettes or pipe cartridges may be treated by supplying more nicotine or the like to the end to be lighted, as shown in Fig. 6. In this figure the addition of nicotine or the like is illustrated as being done during com letion or before the completion of the ished 'smokers article. The tobacco is inserted in the tube 20 from which it is adapted to be transferred as a column of tobacco into its wrapper 10. Before this transfer is effected, however, the tobacco may be treated by adding nicotine or other substances for aforementioned reasons, and in accordance with this invention. Tube 21 is adapted to inject the treating substance in the direction of arrow 22 in the end 11 adapted to be lighted when the cigarette, in this instance, is in 30m. I pleted form. Tube 21 may contain the atomthe end of tube 18,'while the smokers.

izing nozzle 23 for introducing the substance to be added in vaporous form, while heated air or gas may be passed around the tube 23. By suitable means, not shown but well known in the art, the pressure or velocity of the gases or other flavor modifying substances passing through tubes 16, 21 and 23 may be regulated and controlled to obtain the exact graduation of the flavoring material along the length of the smoking article. For example, a jet of a measured quantity of flavoring substance in accordance with the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 introducedin one end of the article, would flow downwardly in decreasing quantity, and the graduation would be obtained naturally and automatically, because the first portion of the tobacco receiving the material would absorb it, so that the succeeding tobacco would be supplied with a lesser quantity. The. assimilation of the nicotine or the like by the tobacco takes place as shown in Fig. 6, the greater concentrations being at the end of the article to be li hted, as indicated by shading; while the to%acco adjacent the end to be placed between the lips of the smoker contains the least uantity of these constituents. 'Flavoring su stances may be added in the same manner, and these substances are usually spice oils, aromatic herb, bark, seed, fruit or berry extracts and the like. In treating smoking articles by these two methods, the position of the smoking article is reversed from the position used inone method with respect to that used in the other method, as is. illustratedin Figs. 3 and 6, that is, in redistributing the flavoring substances in an existing article, the stream of treating material is applied as shown in Fig. 3, while in flavoring an article with additional flavoring material, the stream is applied as shown in Fig. 6. The proper end of the article to be lighted or the smokers end maybe identified by any distinguishing mark, especially in the case of a cigarette which is uniform in appearance from one end to the other.

In thei'case of treating a cigar, it is necessaryflthat it be treated prior to the sealing of the wrapper at the end which is to be placed between the lips of the smoker. This end, viz, end 11 shown in Fig. 5, must be left open so that the treating material may have free accessto all parts of the tobacco column between ends 11 and 12.

tine content of a smoking article is in a highly volatile form, it is believed that the socalled sharpness of the smoke is due to this volatile nicotine. It has been demonstrated that the volatilization of nicotine may be reduced by treating it with certain acids such as citric, malic, tartaric acid or the like. The chemical compound formed by treating nicotine with these weak acids is not as volatile as thenicotine alone, and therefore the sharpness of the smoke may be controlled by treatingthe tobacco with citric acid or the like, preferably by means of a vapor of the aqueous solution, either before or after the tobacco is formed into the smoking article. These compounds being less volatile than nicotine at lower temperatures, are condensed from the smoke before they enter the mouth of the smoker. In this manner the sharpness of the 1 smoke may be controlled. As previously mentioned this acid treatment may be carried on concurrently with or by the same means as the two processes of treatment described above.

The new process of treating smoking articles consequently provides numerous advantages and presents a method of treating tobaccos so as to make them conform to the requirements of the user, and procures a smoking eflect which is uniform from the beginning to the end of the smoke.

I claim: 1. A method of treating a smokers article to graduate the strength of the tobacco therein, which comprises passing lengthwise through the article a stream of a substance adapted to vary the flavor content of the to.-

bacco, and regulating the action of the substance to produce a gradual variation in flavor content from one end to the other of the article without consuming the article.

2. A method of treating a smokers article to graduate the strength of the tobacco therein, which comprises passing len hwise through the article a stream of a su stance 3 adapted to act as a vehicle for the flavoring elements in the tobacco, and regulating the action of the substance to cause a redistribution of flavoring elements and a gradually increasing concentration in the flavor content from one end to the other of the article without consuming the article.

3. A method of treating a smokers article to graduate the strength of the tobacco therein, which comprises passing lengthwise through the article a stream of a gaseous substance adapted to vary the flavor content of the tobacco, and regulating the action of the substance to produce a gradual variation in flavor content from one end to the other of the article without consuming the article.

4. A method of treating a smokers article to graduate the strength of the tobacco therein, which comprises passing lengthwise through the article a .stream of a heated gaseous substance adapted to vary the flavor content of the tobacco, and regulating the action of the substance to produce a gradual variation in flavor content from one end to the other of the article without consuming the article.

. 5. A method of treating a smokers article to graduate the strength of the tobacco therein, which comprises passing lengthwise through the article a stream of a heated 65 gaseous substance containing vapors adapted to varythe flavor content of the tobacco, and

duce a gradual variation in flavor content from one end to the other of the article without consuming the article.

6. A method of treating a smokers article to graduate the strength of the tobacco therein, which comprises passin lengthwise through the article a stream 0 gaseous substance and water vapor adapted to vary the flavor content of the tobacco, and regulating the action of the substance to produce a gradual variation in flavor content from one end to the other of the article without consuming the article.

Signed at 524 Fifth Ave., in the county of New York and State of New York, this 17th day of December A. D. 1924.

NEVIL MONROE HOPKINS. 

